The Extinct Ally
by The Lobster's Claw
Summary: My Eragon fanfic. In it, Eragon, Thorn, Murtagh, Arya, and Saphira are sent on a deadly mission from the Varden, only to find an unlikely new ally who they do not trust. Also my first fanfic ever. Cover artwork shows a Lethrblaka and Ra'zac, with drawing done by ArtByDiges.
1. Chapter 1

The Extinct Ally

Chapter 1

_**This is my first fanfic, you guys, so if you find anything wrong, I would like to hear your constructive criticism! Read and enjoy!**_

The air smelled of shaven blood and burnt musk, as Eragon ripped his sword, Brisingr, free from the chest of an Empire soldier, his armor glowing a deep blood red in the gray moonlight. Eragon was tense that night as he recounted all the events as of yet. Murtagh and Thorn had rejoined the Varden just two days ago, as they had changed their true names and freed themselves of Galbatorix's tyrannical rule, yet the Varden was in a dire state now after their rejoining and the fact that their assault on the Imperial city of Belatona was to come within just one week.

"We shall no longer defend our own territory", Eragon harshy whispered to himself as he healed Thorn's clobbered and stabbed leg. "We must begin taking it from the Empire itself".

But that was not all that Eragon was fretting about. The Eldunari of Glaedr had refused to speak to any of them after Thorn had joined, for Thorn was, after all, the one who had killed Glaedr during the successful eleven attack on Gil'ead. And just this afternoon, Eragon, Saphira, Murtagh, Thorn, and Arya had been sent on a scouting mission to capture a courier with important documents being sent to Galbatorix himself. However, the courier was already dead by the time they came and they found out it was all just a plot set up by the Empire used to capture the two Riders and their dragons. So it was most obviously not a good time to be with the Varden, to say the very least.

Yet it was an even worse time to be fighting for the Empire, for Ceunon, Feinster, and Gil'ead were already lost and Galbatorix was losing troops by the day.

_Eragon?_, a distant voice called out from behind him. Eragon swerved around to see it was Saphira who had contacted him. _I am quite worried about you, little one. Your thoughts have not been right since Murtagh and Thorn rejoined us. What is wrong with you?_

Eragon thought hard as Saphira's question echoed through the walls of his mind. _What is wrong with me?_, Eragon wondered shortly, but he did not ponder long, for a familiar voice shattered his thoughts.

"Eragon! Why are you merely standing about? Allow me to heal my _own_ dragon! You can help Arya clean up the mess back in the field!", Murtagh shouted as he pulled ou a glowing jade Eldunari from his wool bag.

Eragon sighed as he stepped away from Thorn. Murtagh had almost instantly taken control of the group after, and the most bizarre aspect was that Thorn was not even asked for his opinion of leadership. In fact, Thorn had not spoken at all ever since he and Murtagh had rejoined the Varden. The only thing that Eragon and Saphira knew about Thorn during his time under Galbatorix was that he was mentored by Shruikan and that he had disgorged his Eldunari just before they had escaped from Galbatorix's black citadel.

Remembering the Eldunari, Eragon took off his bag and opened it up. With a faint glow, he could see the golden Eldunari of Glaedr. Taking it out, he felt it, expecting it to be warm, yet it was cold as ice and felt like a common stone from the ground.

"Glaedr? Glaedr, come out already. It is me, Eragon!" No answer. Eragon then decided to do the only thing that would usher Glaedr out:anger him.

"So, you do not wish to come out now, aye, Glaedr? Well, what would I have expected? You are being childish just because Thorn is here? Alright then, stay in your Eldunari, since you are as weak and scared as your stupid rider, Oromis! That dumb elf was just a pathetic old man who was not worthy of being _my_ mentor! You think that-", but Eragon said no more, for he gasped and nearly dropped the Eldunari.

Eragon had come to the field, but not only was Arya not there, but almost all of the dead bodies were missing as well. Four corpses remained, yet they were nothing but skeletons of the dead Imperial soldiers, for the flesh and meat was stripped right off of the bone. As he looked closer, he saw that the bones were cracked open, yet there was no marrow within them, nor was there any coming out. Eragon backed away, horrified by the bloodbath he had just seen. It took awhile for him to realize that he was standing in a massive footprint that was larger than that of any normal creature. However, the mark did not come from Saphira or Thorn, for it was smaller and the dragons had not been so close to the the hills this far.

Eragon, in a state of fear and having the feeling that he was not alone, quickly shoved Glaedr's Eldunari back into his bag before sprinting away from that area as fast he could. Despite the fact that he had the speed of an elf, Eragon now had the sense that he was being followed, and by a quick individual as well, and he turned to see if there was anyone behind him.

However, Eragon was going too fast and he couldn't see what was in front of him, for he had turned his head around to look for anyone behind him. A loud _thud_ echoed clearly as Eragon looked to see that his head had hit a nearby tree. His vision blurred as he began to lose balance, and Eragon suddenly fell into a pond of water, fish flying through the air as he fell in, and his head, neck, and shoulders were submerged. As he lost his breath and consiousness, Eragon managed to throw himself out of the pond as his lungs began to fail.

Gasping for air, he heard Saphira shout, _Eragon!_ Pulling himself to his feet, Eragon ran back to their camp spot, where he saw Murtagh holding a green, oval-shaped object.

_Eragon! Murtagh and Thorn managed to steal the green egg with them before they escaped! Isn't that-_, but Eragon cut Saphira short.

"I don't care about some stupid dragon egg!", he blurted out as Saphira, Thorn, and Murtagh all turned to look at him strangely.

"What is wrong, Eragon? What is happening? And why are your shoulders and head _wet_?", Murtagh asked as Eragon recounted what had happened. Managing to find the right words, Eragon stated, "Arya has gone missing! She was not in the field! And there were only four corpses there, and those four are nothing but skeletons now! And the skeletons are all cracked open, with no marrow within them!" He did not mention the mysterious footprint, for he did not wish to scare them any further. Then again, they were most likely not scared, as Eragon was not good at descriptions. It was silent for several long, akward seconds.

Finally, Saphira said, _Eragon, maybe you need to get some re-_, but she suddenly stopped as they heard a twig snap loudly. Drawing Za'roc from his hilt, Murtagh steped forward cautiously, hoping not to make a sound.

"Who is out there?", he called in a surprisingly weak, scared voice. And there, out the of the woods, came the two creatures Eragon hated more than anything else:a Ra'zac and a Lethrblaka.

_**So, what do you guys think? R&R, and tell me if there is anything that you like and/or anything I can improve upon! Chapter 2 will be coming soon!**_


	2. Chapter 2

The Extinct Ally

Chapter 2

_**So, what did you think of the first chapter? Did you like the cliffhanger? Hope you like this one as well!**_

Eragon, Thorn, Saphira, and Murtagh stared at the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka for many seconds, yet those seconds seemed like thousands of years. Eragon lowered his eyes to see that the Ra'zac was holding his own sword, but as he looked closer, Eragon saw it was no sword:it was a sharpened leg bone that was obviously nothing like the swords of the last two Ra'zac that were killed at Helgrind. Suddenly, however, Eragon and Murtagh glanced over to see Arya walking back out of the woods, carrying what appeared to be pears.

"I have brought you your supper, Eragon and Murtagh, but because I am an elf, I could not kill any animal"-, but she stopped at the sight of the massive Lethrblaka.

Now everyone was staring back at Arya. Arya looked directly back at the Ra'zac as he glared menacingly at her, before lowering his eyes, still staring at her.

_Scum_, Eragon disgustedly thought as he saw what the Ra'zac was doing. _He should know better than to look at someone like Arya like that!_

It was a long few minutes of silent staring, and Eragon decided to slide Brisingr out of ir's hilt just in case it was needed.

Finally, but unexpectedly, the silence was broken when the Ra'zac started laughing and it's beak broke into a grin as he approached Arya, leaves breaking beneath his feet.

_What are YOU laughing at, you ugly, beaked pile of turds?_, Thorn asked defiantly. It was the first time Eragon had ever heard him speak. The Lethrblaka viciously snarled before chirping twice and barring it's hideous yellow, gnashed fangs, but otherwise, it did not attack and the Ra'zac did not seem to notice what Thorn said.

"Ah, Princess arya! It has been quite a long whil-", but the Ra'zac stopped short of what he was going to say.

"Not now, Voriadd", Arya softly whispered, and the Ra'zac seemed to understand, for his face turned serious again and he nodded as he stepped back slowly, the Lethrblaka growling.

Eragon had Brisingr oddly raised over his chest, and oddly raised it was, for Murtagh was trying very hard to not laugh. Eragon had prepared to step between the Ra'zac and Arya and strike the creature, but Murtagh managed to hold him back.

"Shall we head back to the Varden now, gentlemen?", Arya asked as the Ra'zac began to climb onto the back of his Lethrblaka.

"Yes, I think we shall", Eragon gasped, wondering what had just happened.

_-Later-_

-The flight was long and silent, as no one talked to anyone. Saphira had attempted to stick her tounge out to taste the Lethrblaka's smell, but then almost instantly pulled it back in. Thorn had attempted to smell it's scent, but stopped shortly afterwards as the area around his nose turned a sickly green color.

About an hour into the flight the silence was ended when Murtagh asked, "So, your name is Voriadd?"

Voriadd nodded. "Yes, in the Ra'zac language, it means, "barrier of the gods".

Eragon spat into the air as he heard this. So he decided to ask his own questions.

"How come you never roll your S's when you talk? The other two Ra'zac always did!"

Voriadd looked puzzled. But quickly, he burst out chuckling like a madman.

"Well, since my brother and sister previously worked for Galbatorix before they were killed, they needed something for them to look evil-so they started rolling their S's and wore hoods. But I do not wear a hood, for I am proud of being a Ra'zac. And _I_ do not work for Galbatorix-I am actually a spy for the Urgals, dwarves, and elves. And yes, I know that Orik is now the new king."

Eragon was looked in awe as he took in what Voriadd said. But awe quickly turned into bitter anger.

"So you knew about him all along, yet you never told me about him?", he asked Arya trough clenched teeth.

Arya merely nodded as her face grew into an expression of fright.

_Look! We are here at the Varden!_, Thorn burst out to everyone.

"Voriadd-you and your Lethrblaka stay behind until we call you, alright?", Murtagh commanded as Voriadd nodded quickly.

Thorn and Saphira dived straight toward the gound before stopping and landing. The Lethrblaka did the same shortly afterward.

"Murtagh! Eragon!", Nasuada shouted as the two Riders, the dragons, and Arya turned to see everyone from the Varden cheer.

"Eragon! Murtagh! It is good to see you the two back!", Roran cried happily.

"Did you get the documents?", Nasuada excitedly asked.

"No but we did find a new ally! In fact, he and his flying steed are here right now! Voriadd, come forward!", Arya exclaimed.

Nd in an instant, Roran pulled out his hammer and the Varden's expression turned from joy to dread and horror as they saw the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka.

_**Okay, so R&R! Oh, and if you want to know, Voriadd's name is pronounced like this:VAR-IAD-DEN. Chapter 3 will be here soon!**_

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	3. Chapter 3

The Extinct Ally

Chapter 3

_**Okay, so the last chapter had more than 2 errors, but I promise, full proofread this time! And this is going to be the best chapter yet! Read to see…**_

"Get that monstrosity out of here!", Roran barked as he madly charged at Voriadd, swinging his hammer high in the air.

Voriadd brandished his leg bone sword and raised it high as he came running at full speed towards Roran.

_Those two are going to kill each other and shed blood if someone does not stop them!_, Eragon thought as he made a mad dash and stepped in front of Roran and Voriadd, stretching his arms out in front of the two of them, and they both came to a screeching halt.

"Eragon, why are you doing this? Let me smash the stupid bug's head open and teach him something!", Roran spat as the Lethrblaka roared at what Roran just said.

"Stupid bug? You should be careful of what you say, human, for you are the ones we eat!", Voriadd yelled as the crowd of the Varden stepped back.

"Enough, both of you!", Eragon screamed as Roran lowered his hammer and Voriadd slided his sword back onto his belt, which appeared to made out of human flesh.

Eragon then turned his attention to Nasuada.

"Nasuada, may I have a word with you?"

And before she could even say yes, Eragon added, "oh, and bring Nar Garzhvog and Orik with you".

Eragon looked bitterly at Voriadd. "Bring Arya and Murtagh with you-you three are coming with me". He said it without emotion, for he still hated the Ra'zac race and did not trust what Voriadd did or said.

"But Eragon! What about _me_? Don't I have any say in this argument, since it was the Ra'zac who killed my father and obliterated Carvahall?", Roran growled as he followed Eragon to the tent where Nasuada was leading him.

"I am sorry, Roran, but after your violent outburst, I think you need some time to calm down", Eragon stated.

"Gah! Eragon, you stupid traitor! You are no cousin of mine! You are just an idiotic fool! How _dare_ you come here and not allow me into your business, especially when you bring filth like that dumb Ra'zac and his hideous _steed_ here!", Roran howled as Eragon entered Nasuada's red tent.

_You are no cousin of mine!_ Eragon shivered as the words that Roran had spoken slid into his brain. He attempted to shake it off, but could not.

Eragon turned to see Voriadd, Arya, and Murtagh walk into the tent behind him.

Eragon turned back around to see that Nasuada, Garzhvog, and Orik were seated in the center of the room.

"Sit", Nasuada ordered as Eragon laid his hand down on a couch.

It was silent after the four of them finally took their seats. Finally, Eragon could not take it any longer, and he started asking the questins he wanted answered.

"You!", he shouted as he pointed at Nasuada.

"You lived with the dwarves just about your whole life! You obviously knew about Voriadd! Now, what is your reason for not telling me?", Eragon asked.

Nasuada sighed. "Eragon, the reason I did not tell you was because I knew that this would be your reaction. And I knew that you profoundly hated the Ra'zac, so if I told you, there would be a good chance that you and Saphira would leave the Varden in a heartbeat!"

"That still is not good enough! You, Orik! How come _you_ never told me about Voriadd? You are my own dwarven clan brother, yet you _never_ told me!", Eragon burst out, unable to control himself.

"Uh, well, you see Eragon, Voriadd is apart of my clan, Durgrimst Ingetium, and he swore an oath"-

"Wait a minute-he is _WHAT_?", Eragon yelled, this time truly feeling violent rage, a rage to kill Voriadd.

"Voriadd is apart of Durgrimst Ingetium! He swore an oath to me, saying he would never harm the dwarves, and so I swore an oath to him, saying I would never reveal him to anyone unless I am _forced_ to!", Orik slowly said without hesitation.

"I guess that makes sense!", Eragon grumbled as he took in what Orik had just said. "But you, Nar Garzhvog! You still have not told me your reason!", Eragon said.

For once, there was true fear in Garzhvog's yellow, piggish eyes, and everyone stared at him.

However, just as Eragon believed that Garzhvog had no good reason, he yelled out painfully.

"Voriadd is my blood brother!", Garzhvog shouted. "Urgal blood brothers do not discuss their bond to _anyone_, except to people who already know about it!", he said as he stopped to catch his breath as his throat appeared to dry up.

Eragon pondered what Nar Garzhvog had just said._ Voriadd is my blood brother!_ To Eragon, it seemed like the best explanation he had heard in this discussion.

But his thoughts did not go on for long. Roran suddenly burst into the tent. His face had blood splatters over it, and his hammer was stained with red blood. _Human_ blood.

"_Everyone, the Empire's forces have attacked our camp_!", Roran screamed at the top of his lungs as they all heard a ear-splitting shriek and then a roar.

_Murtagh! Get out here this instant! Saphira and I and the Lethrblaka need major help! Ohh, no-!_, but Thorn did not get to finish, for his mental connection with Murtagh was suddenly severed.

"_Please, we need your help! Galba-_, but Roran did not get to finish, for suddenly, out of nowhere, an arrow shot straight through the sil wall of the tent. It flew through the air for a few seconds before it hit Roran straight in the head.

_**So, what do you think has happened to Roran? R&R, and I'll tell you right now that this story isn't over yet! Chapter 4 is coming very soon!**_


	4. Chapter 4

The Extinct Ally

Chapter 4

_**So, there was a major cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter! This one expands on what happened to Thorn!**_

Thorn hit the ground hard. He let out a long roar before his vision began to fade.

The last thing he saw was Saphira dive into Shruikan's right side, before she was knocked off.

And then, with one last swipe of his paw, Shrukan's talons hit Thorn's chest, and his vision failed and his breathing stopped.

_NO!_, Saphira shouted as she rushed to Thorn's aid, but she came too late.

Thorn swallowed one final time before he finally entered the void.

He felt as if though he was drifting for ages. Thorn had no idea where he was. He was not in his Eldunari, for he was not surrounded by red colors, and he was not at the Varden camp where Shruikan killed him, for this place was noiseless and seemed to be completely pitch black.

_Is this the void? Is this what the land of death looks like?_, he thought with fear as he looked around him. There was no one around him. There were not even any other dead souls here, and now Thorn truly felt alone.

Then, he heard a faint hum, like a hum of electricity. It was soft and barely hearable at first, but as Thorn listened closer, the humming soon grew as loud as several drumbeats.

Thorn looked around to see orbs of changing color circling around him, trapping him in. At first, he had no idea what they where, but then the memory hit him like a punch in the face.

_Spirits_, he thought as he shivered as a line of electricity shocked him and froze him in place.

_Come closer_, an unidentified voice whispered to Thorn.

He swept his head around as he saw a black-colored spirit with a halo of flickering white tentacles broke out from the pack of spirits and floated towards Thorn.

_Do not hesitate. Please, come closer, Thorn_, the spirit said, this time saying it much louder.

_How does he know my name?_, Thorn thought as he slowly moved forward towards the spirit.

He reached his paw out to feel the spirit, and instantly, one of the tentacles lashed out towards his palm.

Thorn tried to pull his paw back, but he was too slow and the tentacle burned him as if he was being consumed by fire.

He tried to howl in pain, but could only open his mouth in shock.

_Do not be afraid of the tentacles, Thorn. They will only hurt you if you are afraid. The tentacles sense fear_, the spirit said.

Thorn gulped as he reached out his paw again, and another tentacle lashed out and hit the same area of his palm as last time. He still felt pain, but not as much as last time as energy violently coursed through his spiritual body.

Finally, the tentacle removed itself and Thorn's body stopped shaking.

Just as Thorn thought it was over, however, he felt something enter his mind. He quickly set up walls of defense by thinking only of Saphira, but those defenses were easily tooken down with almost no effort. Then he realized that it was the spirit searching his memories.

After some time, the spirit exited his mind and seemed to be recounting what it had just found. It was some time before it spoke again.

_Hmmmmmm…yes, yes. Thorn, if I am not mistaken, and spirits never are, you were killed by Shruikan while the Empire was attacking the Varden. You also appear to harbor deep feelings for Saphira, and-_

_I do not have feelings for Saphira!_, Thorn yelled as he raised his paws, and several other spirits moved closer to attack.

_Now, you either tell me your name, spirit, or I shall force you to tell it!_, Thorn barked as he lowere his paw.

The spirit seemed to chuckle at Thorn.

_Such a pathetic threat! But, very well then, if you insist. My name is Daghelef, leader of the spirits and the same spirit that had looked through the mind of Eragon while he was escaping from Helgrind. Ever since the spirits in Varaug and Durza were freed, the spirits have full loyalty to Eragon and Arya Shadeslayer. But we are not ready to fight for the Varden yet._

_But you must fight for us!_, Thorn burst out. _If you joined the Varden, we would be unstoppable and Galabatorix would fall much faster! And I want you to resurrect me! Murtagh, my Rider, he must be so worried about me, and we need two dragons to fight Shruikan! Saphira cannot do it herself, even with Voriadd's Lethrblaka!_

_Now, slow down there!_, Deghelef said. _Yes, we will join the Varden, and yes, we shall resurrect you!_

_Oh, thank you, Deghelef!_, Thorn gleefully screeched. _You have no idea what this mean-_

_But we shall only join, at a price…_

_**Major cliffhanger! What do you think is gonna happen? R&R, and post your ideas in the reviews section of this story!**_


	5. Chapter 5

The Extinct Ally

Chapter 5

_**I intend this chapter to be the longest yet. I hope any questions you have had so far will be answered! All will be revealed!**_

_A price? I shall accept any price to be resurrected!_, Thorn said as soon as he heard what Daghelef had said.

_Very well, then. What we want for you to do is to take Glaedr from his Eldunari so we can turn him into a spirit. Spirits are not usually the spirits of dead creatures, yet our numbers have been dwindling ever since Galbatorix took energy from us. Now, we must do whatever we can to get more_, Daghelef whispered.

_Alright. I'll take Glaedr to you. But first, you must answer this question:who is my real father? Is it Glaedr?_, Thorn asked.

_No, Thorn. Glaedr is your paternal grandfather. Your real father is Shruikan._

_-POV Change-_

Eragon had spent hours upon hours of attempting to heal the wound from the arrow on Roran's head, but it was soon very obvious that Roran would not live much longer.

_Eragon! Come out here instantly! Thorn is dead!_, Saphira shouted to Eragon as he was cleaning all of the blood from Roran's wound off of his hand.

Eragon did not believe it at first, but as soon as he stepped out and saw Murtagh grieving over Thorn's scaly red body, he knew that he had just lost two loved ones in just one day.

Eragon looked over the field and saw that it was littered with bodies and the ground was soaked in red blood.

He saw Voriadd hungrily eating away at the flesh of dead Imperial soldiers while Trianna was busy healing the wounds of his Lethrblaka.

He saw Arya, Nasuada, Nar Garzhvog, and Orik cleaning the bodies of dead Varden soldiers off of the field while Saphira was mournfully staring at Thorn's corpse.

_Saphira_, Eragon said as he mentally communicated with his dragon._ Who killed Thorn? Was it another dragon?_

_Yes_, she said as she turned her head and it was then that Eragon saw the saddest look on her face since she had hatched at Carvahall.

_Yes, it was another dragon. It was Shruikan. He came without Galbatorix, yet he was still powerful enough to overpower me. Voriadd's Lethrblaka managed to knock him unconscious by stomping on his head and peck his side, and the dwarves came and chained him up and put him on a cart. He is ready to be interrogated. Yet still, Thorn is dead. _Saphira emitted what appeared to be a dry dragon sob as she looked back down at Thorn's corpse.

With no one to turn to, Eragon decided to contact Glaedr.

He took the golden Eldunari out and mentally contacted the spirit inside-and gasped.

Glaedr was not in there. His spirit was completely gone. Nothing was in there.

Eragon gulped. He decided to speak to Katrina.

She turned around. "Eragon, where is Roran? What has happened to him? Is he all right?"

Eragon stopped for a few seconds. How could he possibly tell her? He decided to do it right there, right then.

"Um, Katrina…Roran is fatally wounded. I don't think he is going to survive much longer", Eragon bursted out. He took a long breath as Katrina's eyes widened and filled with tears.

She rushed to Nasuada's tent, making a soft cry as she ran before she disappered.

Eragon sighed. He now had no one to talk to now, as Murtagh and Saphira were still grieving, Voriadd's Lethrblaka was sleeping, and Arya and Nasuada were still cleaning up the bodies.

Then he thought of Voriadd. Although he was gone, he was most obviously in Trianna's tent. He raced his way to the brown tent. He pulled back the camp curtain and looked inside.

He saw Voriadd on the bed, his eyes wide and his beak broken into a grin. His cloak was gone and his chest was bare, and it was brown and covere in veins.

Trianna was standing in front of the bed, and Eragon saw her robe slipping down as she walked towards the bed.

Eragon instantly slipped the curtain back and vomited. _Disgusting! Even if Trianna is so self-conceited, someone like her shouldn't be with a disgusting beast like Voriadd!_, he thought.

And then he had a thought:_Shruikan._ He could go to where the black dragon was being held, and ask him a few questions.

He decided to ask a nearby dwarven warrior where Shruikan's jail was.

"It is in the north, and once you get there, go to your right and walk up the green hill and then turn left and go on the red path", the dwarf said.

Eragon thanked the dwarf and did exactly what he had said. Finally, after what appeared to be two miles of walking, Eragon came to a tiny brown cabin with peeling paint and smashed windows.

_That is Shruikan's prison? It seems too small for him to fit in!_, Eragon thought as he slowly approached the front door. To his surprise, the door was unlocked.

He pushed the door open and it made a noisy creak as he made his way in. The air smelled of cobwebs and dense mud. The walls were made of brown chestnut wood, and in the distance, a bright light was shining.

Eragon ran towards the light and, shielding his eyes from the brightness, entered a densely lit room. In the center was Shruikan, bound by chains and laying on a wodden cart. His mouth was covered by an iron muzzle.

_Shruikan. I have come to speak to you_, Eragon calmly stated as Shruikan opened his eyes.

_What do you want from me, Eragon? Can you not see that I do not feel like talking after I have just killed my own son?_, Shruikan stubbornly yelled.

_Wait a minue-Thorn is your SON?_, Eragon said, not wanting to believe that Shruikan was Thorn's father.

_Yes, he is my son! After Murtagh and Thorn had changed their true names by thinking of Nasuada and Saphira, respectively, I was the one who had helped them steal the egg, and I was the one who had helped Thorn disgorge his Eldunari! But Galbatorix possessed me during this battle to capture you and Saphira and kill Thorn for escaping. I had no choice_, Shruikan whispered, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Eragon remarked at this. He could not believe that it was Shruikan who had helped Murtagh and Thorn escape all along, and that Thorn was Shruikan's son. Pity for the black-scaled dragon erupted within him.

But Eragon did not have much time to fell pity, for he suddenly heard a loud roar fron outside, and instantly, Thorn crashed through the wall and sank his fangs into Shruikan's neck.

_So, _father_? Did you enjoy killing your own son?_, Thorn angrily asked as numerous floating orbs of changing colors.

_These are spirits_, Eragon thought as he swallowed hard.

_Ah, Eragon! You may remember me from when you and Arya were escaping Helgrind and heading back towards the Varden. I am Daghelef, leader of the spirits. I was the one who had resurrected Thorn_, Daghelef blurted.

Eragon did remember him. He was the same spirit with white tentacles and a black color who had searched through Eragon's memories while he and Arya were going back towards the Varden.

_Now, let me tell you the good news, Eragon. My race of spirits are ready to fight for the Varden. The spirits can no longer be neutral. Now that you have us though, can't we just skip Belatona and head straight towards Uru'baen?_, Daghelef asked.

_Yes, I think we might be able to do that_, a nearby spirit replied.

The spirit was gold colored, and his booming voice seemed quite familiar. And then Eragon gasped when he realized who the spirit was.

It was Glaedr.

_**So, have your questions been answered? I expect for the next chapter, chapter six, to be where the action really begins! And this is how you pronounce Daghelef's name:DAZ-HEL-IF. Oh, and I'l give you a hint on what's going to be revealed in the next chapter:Thorn's mother will be revealed!**_


	6. Chapter 6

The Extinct Ally

Chapter 6

_**Okay guys, this is the full version of chapter 6, the chapter you have all been begging me for! So here it is, but make sure you are able to read long fanfic chapters, or else you might get a headache!**_

Eragon stood bewildered, his mouth hanging open in shock at the revelation that the golden spirit floating in front of him was Glaeder.

"Glaeder, y-you're a s-s-spirit! But h-how-", Eragon stuttered but Glaeder had cut him short.

_It is a very long and complicated story, Eragon, and one I do not believe your average human mind would be capable of comprehending. But to make a long story short, when Thorn had been killed at the hands of his father_-Glaeder floated closer to Shruikan at the saying of those words-_he had ended up in the realm of the spirits, better known as The Realm With No Name. Daghelef here told my grandson that he could only be brought back to life if he made me a spirit, and so he agreed and secretly made a treaty between the Varden and the spirits, Glaeder stated._

Eragon was somewhat surprised that Glaeder had insulted him when he had said, _I do not believe your average human would be capable of comprehending._ But that did not matter right now. "But, Glaeder, aren't you angry that you are now a spir-"

_No, Eragon, I am not angry that Daghelef had converted me. I am actually quite happy that I am free of my Eldunari, for I no longer live in that cramped gold organ of mine. Also, as a spirit, I can use semi-passive magic whenever I wish, unlike regular dragons or even Eldunari dragons, the latter of whom can use magic attacks only on important occasions. _Glaeder then moved closer to Thorn. _Thorn! Let go of your poor father's neck! If you bite it any longer, you will break the neck and snap off the head!_

_I would much rather tear his head off and burn it than let him survive!_, Thorn exclaimed.

_Thorn, I am your grandfather and Shruikan is your father! I can forgive you now for killing me at Gil'ead after learning that Galbatorix had possessed you and Murtagh, but to kill a family member through your own will brings the greatest, most unimaginable form of shame upon not only the family but also the killer whose family member he or she had betrayed._

Thorn glared at the floating orb that was his grandfather for several seconds, yet to Eragon, it seemed like four centuries. Then, Thorn, albeit very reluctantly, let go of Shruikan's neck.

Almost instantly, Shruikan broke free of Thorn's weakened grasp and lifted his paw to rub his bleeding neck. The area near the throat had bright red puncture wounds everywhere, and the area near the top of the spinal cord had literally been stripped to the bone.

_Well, thank you , father. I am glad you had told my son to let go of me or else I would have died! Without you here, there would be no one to teach Thorn any manners! Shame, for if his mother had been here_-Shruikan began, but he was interrupted by Thorn.

_Oh, keep quiet, you fat, ugly bastard! What are you speaking of my mother for? You never even told me who my mother was, nor had you ever told me you were my father! In fact, you have never told me anyth-_

_I had not told you, Thorn, because I knew you would attempt to slay Galbatorix early for enslaving me, but that would not be right. I had sensed when Saphira had hatched and Eragon had become a Rider because the Varden's founder and Eragon's father, Brom, had taken all of the people who would help Eragon on his path with a scar that that would send an unimaginably painful streak of energy through their veins that would show that the savior of Alagaesia had finally come. Voriadd, the Ra'zac who has recently joined us, even recieved on!_, Shruikan said in a stream of words that suddenly made sense to Eragon. He now understood why the Ra'zac had almost instantly came to Carvahall instead of searching anywhere else first:they had been in the Varden and had also received the scars before they betrayed the Varden and Voriadd.

_But, father, you still have not told me who my mother i_-Thorn pressed, but Shruikan answered him almost instantly.

_Your mother, Thorn, was a female dragon named Diadza. She was a beautiful dragon, possibly the most beautiful creature I have ever laid my eyes upon. She had pure white scales with a violet and blue tint near the tips of her wings. I had met her when Galbatorix had sent me to see if there were any dragon eggs or Eldunari at Du Fells Nangoroth. Every dragon knows that there is a secret city filled with surviving dragons and it is underground. When I had first came there, I was about to be killed by the guards, but once they realized Galbatorix had forced me into servitude, they let me in. Diadza almost instantly fell for me:we had many secret meetings with each other and even had many dragon mating rituals together. However, on my third night there I had made her pregnant. We flew to the very top of the highest mountain in the Hadarac Desert so no one could see us. It took many painful hours but she finally laid an egg. I was actually a father! I would have felt proud, except Diadza had one very glaring flaw to herself:she always brought her Eldunari with her everywhere she went. And Galbatorix was able to use a very complicated spell that could track down any Eldunari outside of the magical boundary in the city at Du Fells Nangoroth, and so Galbatorix came and he slew Diadza and, to make sure I would never be able to be with her ever again, he took out his black Rider sword and stabbed Diadza's Eldunari with it. Both Galbatorix and I saw Diadza's soul float out of her Eldunari, and she departed with a blood curling scream. Galbatorix put the Rider spell on Thorn's egg and with that, we departed._

Shruikan's story took at least one minute to tell, but that did not matter to Eragon. What did matter to him was that he felt even more pity for Shruikan, but Eragon did not want to feel pity. He wanted to have no mercy or compassion whatsoever, but he realized that if he felt those emotions of rage, he would merely become another Galbatorix. The thought made Eragon shiver and his teeth chatter in fear.

_Now, can someone heal my neck? You all know I can't fight like this!_, Shruikan asked.

"I can do-"

_No Eragon, allow me to heal his neck_, Glaeder replied. Eragon stood back to allow Glaeder to heal Shruikan's neck. He gasped when he saw Shruikan's neck had been perfectly healed and mended within a timespan that appeared to be only two seconds. There was not a single bruise or scar left!

_Can we please go to battle now?_, Daghelef asked. _I am getting tired of all this boring storytelling and healing! I want to go kill some Imperials!_

_-POV change-_

The air of war was fresh. There were several thousand Varden soldiers marching towards the heart of Belatona. Voriadd was suspicious, though. He did not know why Nasuada had changed their orders for the battle. He knew that going from Feinster to Belatona would take at least two whole days. But he was confident that the Varden would prevail in this fight and strike another blow to the Empire. He relaxed his muscles and nerves and his thoughts were calm as he flew on the back of his Lethrblaka, for he knew that if one entered battle while enraged and angry, they would be slaughtered by the enemy almost instantly. Little did Voriadd know that this battle might just be his last.

_-POV change-_

Roran lay dead in one of the Varden's tents in at the healing center, where the wounded were being held so they could rest. However, Roran was all alone in his tent. The Varden noted that he was dead a day ago, but ultimately they had decided to bury him two days after the attack on Belatona. It was all going according to plan.

_Now, my brothers_, he hissed, _is the time we grant our lord Angvard a new wraith! It is time we turn the tables on the physical world, the time Angvard takes his throne as the ruling god!_

The others around him cheered at the mention of these words. In front of them was the soul of Roran. He was invisible to the living, but they could very easily see him. He was bound and gagged and he gasped as the invisible chains around his mouth and throat pulled tighter.

_Now, my brothers, let us take him to Angvard's realm of eternal twilight! The realm of pain!_

_-POV change-_

Eragon flew on Saphira's back as they flew to Belatona. Along with them was Voriadd on his Lethrblaka, Murtagh on Thorn, and Shruikan. It had taken quite a while to explain to Voriadd, Murtagh, Arya and Nasuada how Thorn had been resurrected, how Glaeder had been converted into a spirit, and that the spirits had joined the Varden. But thankfully, it had all been resolved.

"Eragon, why is it that Daghelef and the other spirits did not join in this battle?", Murtagh asked as they passed the captured port city of Aroughs.

"Because, he said that the spirits would come later in the battle, so as to surprise the Empire and force them to surrender earlier", Eragon answered.

"Oh", Murtagh grunted, for he was obviously not pleased with the spirit's supposed "shock troop" tactics.

Although Eragon did not mind, he realized that Saphira and Thorn had been flying much closer together on their way to Belatona ever since Thorn had been resurrected. Possibly because Thorn had loved Saphira ever since he had first came into battle with her.

However, Eragon took a look around him and then looked look below to see the Varden's troops on the ground. Not only had Shruikan, Murtagh, Thorn, and Voriadd and his Lethrblaka joined him and Saphira, but so had Orik with two thousand dwarves, Nar Garzhvog with six hundered Urgals, Arya and Nasuada with five thousand Varden troops, and Glaeder came. They all came to make sure the Empire lost it's strongest support system at Belatona, and to make sure Galabatorix saw the corpses of his soldiers, with blood all over their armor and gore on their faces.

_Eragon, stop!_, Glaeder shouted. Because he was a spirit, and because Glaeder was so far below on the ground, he had to talk to Eragon through a mental connection.

_Why should I stop, Glaeder?_, Eragon asked. He could not tell him to stop when they were heading into one of the Varden's most important battles.

_Eragon, you and Saphira must stop instantly! Tell Voriadd, tell Shruikan, tell Murtagh, tell Thorn! Tell them all to stop! Nasuada's personal magicians have detected an army of Imperial soldiers marching straight towards us, and the magicians believe the Imperial army has about eight thousand soldiers! Someone must have alerted Galbatorix about our attack! Please, Eragon, tell Saphira and all of the rest of them to land on the ground and STOP!_, Glaeder screamed, hurting Eragon's head.

Eragon quickly commanded Saphira, Voriadd and his Lethrblaka, Shruikan, and Murtagh and Thorn to land. He told them about the incoming army of Imperial soldiers, and how the Varden had only 7,600 soldiers in comparison to the Empire's eight thousand soldiers.

"What? How could that idiot called Galbatorix know about our advancement towards Belatona? Someone must have taken the map that showed the Varden's planned attacks on Belatona, Dras'Leona, and Uru'baen, and that person gave the map to Galbatorix!", Voriadd exclaimed as hey dived towards the ground.

"Now, Voriadd, let us not simply jump to conclu-", Murtagh was saying, but his mouth dropped open and he stopped as he looked at the oncoming battalion of Imperial soldiers. The number of troops was much, much greater than just eight thousand soldiers.

"_All of you, get into your battle positions this instant! Raise your shields and stick out your weapons! Magicians, place wards over every soldiers right now!_", Nasuada shouted.

Eragon took the time to put wards around not just himself and Saphira, but also Thorn, Shruikan, Murtagh, Voriadd and his Lethrblaka, Nar Garzhvog, Nasuada, Orik, and Arya. It already drained away at much of Eragon's energy for some strange reason, but it was worth it to protect his own friends and, in the case of Murtagh, his own family.

Seeing the soldiers coming further yet very slowly, Eragon decided this would be an extremely easy battle due to the fact the soldiers were moving so slowly.

Almost as if though the soldiers had read Eragon's mind, however, the soldiers started yelling. Within about a second of doing so, the troops charged towards the Varden. The Varden reacted by shouting at the top of their lungs and stampeding towards the Empire's soldiers, their swords and spears pointing out straightly yet sharply.

A group of fourteen soldiers rushed towards Eragon and Saphira. Those soldiers would have been wiser to not do that, however, as Saphira breathed a jet of blue fire which roasted at least eight of the soldiers. The rest engaged Eragon in close combat, but their armor and shields were no match for Brisingr. However, Eragon could already feel his energy drain even further as numerous soldiers slashed at Voriadd but were only able to drain away his wards. A helpless soldier attempted to run from the Ra'zac, but Voriadd's Lethrblaka was capable of pinning him down with his beak and promptly pulled the screaming soldiers body to pieces.

Two Imperial soldiers ran from Eragon, and Eragon gave chase, but with so little energy left, his legs felt too heavy to run. In a blind rage, he screamed, "Dejya!", one of the Twelve Words of Death. The soldier on the right collapsed instantly, but his partner kept sprinting and he took no heed of the death. "Jierda!", Eragon screeched with all of his might, and the soldier screamed as he toppled on his side, his back broken.

Eragon could see Nar Garzhvog break a soldiers chest open with his mace, while another soldier got punched in the forehead by the Urgal, having his skull promptly smashed open. While Nar Garzhvog was barking orders at his soldiers to advance, however, an Imperial scout sneaked upon him and stabbed the Urgal's right leg. Nar Garzhvog roared in pain and anger and, as the scout pulled the sword out of Nar Garzhvog's leg, the Urgal kicked the soldier into the air, and he was sent flying before crashing through the roof of a nearby tavern. Numerous Urgal shamans and troopers came rushing to extract the sword from his leg.

Murtagh was cutting down a platoon of soldiers before a magician used a non-verbal spell to immobilize him. Thorn noticed and used his semi-passive magic to break the restraints held on his Rider, of which Murtagh then shot an energy shaft from the tip of Zar'roc, when suddenly, an archer shot multiple arrows through Thorn's sides and legs.

Glaeder was using his new spirit abilities to blow soldiers aside like leaves in the wind. Out of nowhere, one of the Empire's mages rushed to the aid of his fellow soldiers, and shouted, "Barzen, Le-Sonoth caras foun, Em-Dasshounth!" The dark spell froze Glaeder in place, but just as Murtagh had frozen Glaeder in place at Gil'ead, he was not restrained for long. Glaeder shattered the restraints, and with that breaking, he shot a golden bolt from the center of the floating orb that was himself, and the bolt completely incinerated the magician and several nearby soldiers.

Voriadd took his human leg bone sword and slashed it through the air, cutting down multiple soldiers at once, when a cavalry trooper threw a dagger that slashed through his leg, slicing off a good portion of the flesh. Before the soldier could react, though, Voriadd's Lethrblaka snatched the horse from below him. As the horse neighed, the trooper fell off and Voriadd stabbed his sword through the trooper's back and it exited through his stomach.

Shruikan was unleashing a torrent of black fire upon a team of Imperial soldiers when an arrow cut into his stomach. Shruikan roared a sound of pain before setting the Imperial archer alight.

Eragon saw all of this happen as the wards around him slowly drooped out of existence. Suddenly, a man shouted, "Alzandair"! Eragon's energy instantly dropped to a dangerously low level as the wards around him and his friends instantly disappeared. Eragon took a glance at the man who had eliminated the wards. He had shoulder length black hair with cynical black eyes and a long, slender black Rider sword held in front of his chest. The man grinned a very hideous, menacing grin at Eragon.

"Galbatorix!", Murtagh shouted. " He has come to this battle to capture Eragon and Saphira!"

In an instant, Eragon, Saphira, Voriadd, Nasuada, Murtagh, Nar Garzhvog, Arya, Shruikan, and Thorn rushed towards Galbatorix. "Ganorb!", Galbatorix screamed, and Eragon realized it as one of the Twelve Words of Death.

Eragon saw the sides of Murtagh's being pushed back towards the skull, and he knew that two invisible ropes were crushing Murtagh's skull through the sides. "Aaaaaaaaagggghhhh! Aaaaggggggghhhh!", Murtagh screeched before a loud cracking noise was heard and Murtagh fell to the ground, dead.

_Now you shall pay with your life for killing my Rider, Galbatorix!_, Thorn burst out as Glabatorix turned to him.

"I think not, my dear Thorn! I do not think you will be much harder, actually", Galbatorix cackled as he shouted, "Deyja!"

Thorn's eyes closed as he slumped to the ground, lifeless.

_NO!_, Saphira yelled as she witnessed Thorn's death.

_My son! My only son! YOU! Glabatorix! I shall tear your body in half and burn your soul!_, Shruikan bellowed as he charged towards his former fake Rider.

"Oh, look at poor Shruikan! He lost his poor little hatchling just like he lost Diadza!", Galbatorix mockingly said as he raised his sword.

_DO NOT MENTION MY MATE'S NAME, YOU MONSTER!_, Shruikan raged.

"Don't worry Shruikan, I won't mention her name anymore, because you won't hear it ever again! Jierda!"

Shruikan's neck moved in one direction while his head twisted in the other direction, and his neck snapped.

"Remuor!", Galbatorix screamed, and Glaeder's spirit body dimmed and dropped to the ground, raising dust in the process.

"Enough, Galbatorix! You have killed far too many to live any longer, and now your reign and your life shall end!", Nasuada shouted as she drew her sword.

Glabatorix turned to her and grinned. "Ah, Nasuada! How nice it is to see you! But I believe the words you have spoken are more of directed towards yourself!"

"Enough with the childish jokes! Fight!", Nasuada yelled as she charged towards Galbatorix.

However, the dark king was too powerful for the Varden leader, and she was stabbed straightly through the chest before removing the sword, the tip of which was now soaked in blood.

"No...n-no!", Eragon screeched as he saw Nasuada's body slowly dropped to the ground.

Voriadd rushed to attack Galbatorix while he was busy celebrating his victory, but Galbatorix swiftly turned around and diagonally slashed the Ra'zac's chest before stabbing him straight through the heart.

Nar Garzhvog's face turned into an expression of uncontrollable anger and rage as he lifted his mace and stampeded towards Galbatorix, but the king shot a wave of black energy which hit the Urgal squarely in the chest and blew him backwards. Eragon knew that the spell had severed at least two arteries in Nar Garzhvog's chest, and it would instantly cause fatal internal bleeding.

Arya fired an arrow towards Galbatorix's head, but the king used a non-verbal spell to shoot the arrow right back into her chest.

"Eragon! Why, it is a pleasure to finally meet Morzan's other son! You-", Galbatorix said but he was stopped by Eragon.

Eragon heard the words, and he realized that all these months and years of training for this moment could never save his friends. And that's why Eragon hated Galbatorix more than ever, for he had known what fate had in store and had played everyone, and everything, like a mere board game, and he knew Eragon's friends and allies were not going to survive but had done nothing to change or lessen it. That was more than Eragon could take.

He had had enough, and now, there was nothing Galbatorix could do to stop his fate.

"Gah! Shut your filthy mouth and die, you pig!", Eragon shouted as he yelled, "_BRISINGR!_", and he drove his flaming blue sword through the evil king's heart before it erupted from his back, the dark king's insides turning to ash as the blue flames incinerated them.

Eragon extinguished his sword as he pulled it out of Galbatorix's body, and he rushed towards Murtagh's body and pulled the green egg out of the sack before sprinting back to Saphira, dragging Nasuada's body just behind him.

_Saphira! Tell Orik and Voriadd's Lethrblaka to come to us!_, Eragon told to Saphira through their mental connection.

_If that is what you wish, little one_, Saphira said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Eventually, the Lethrblaka and Orik came.

"Eragon what has happ-", Orik was asking as he saw the corpse of Nasuada.

"There is no time for that! We must leave right now!"

Orik slowly nodded as Eragon teleported himself, Saphira, Orik, the green egg, and Voriadd's Lethrblaka away to Feinster. On their way through through the slip-stream, Eragon fainted.

_-POV change-_

Daghelef slowly floated towards Angvard, the human god of death. Following him were the undead corpses of all of Eragon's fallen friends:Thorn, Shruikan, Voriadd, Arya, Glaeder, Murtagh, and Nar Garzhvog, as well as the undead corpse of Galbatorix. The corpses all had bright white lights shining out of their eyes, except for Glaeder, who had a small white light coming from the center of his spirit body, and angry, vicious scowls on their faces and had black scars on their bodies.

It had all been apart of Angvard's master plan. Galbatorix's rebellion, the Dragon War, the Rider War, Thorn's death and resurrection, Glaeder's spirit conversion, and even Roran's death, it had all been apart of the plan.

_Your plan had worked to perfection, Lord Angvard. And the best part is, that stupid Rider and his "friends" had really believed the spirits would eventually join the battle! Ha, such idiots! It gave us time to teleport the Varden's battle map to Galbatorix here_-he floated closer to the undead corpse of Galbatorix-_and to convert the soul of Roran into another wraith! Of course, we would have never gotten this far if it were not for my fellow brother, Gourzier, who had started the conversion ritual_, Daghelef hissed as he showed the god of death his latest trophies.

Angvard drifted away from his sickly gray horse and inspected the bodies of today's fallen. Angvard was covered from head to toe in a gray hooded cloak. On top of his covered head rested a crown, but this was no regular king's bejewled crown:it was made of of stabbed out eyeballs, crushed bones, and rotted organs, one of which was a heart that was still beating. Clutched in his pale right hand,was a scythe, the handle of which was a severed Urgal leg bone, and the blade of which was the shoulder blade of a human.

"Hmm...yes, Daghelef, you have done well, but where is the Varden's leader?", Angvard asked, in a voice of which sounded like two tombstones being crushed together.

_My apologies, my lord, but that foolish Rider teleported away with her body before I could take it_, Daghelef replied.

"Well, at least you got me a Kull, a Ra'zac, and two dragons! With those creatures, I will be able to become the ruling god, and I will control the physical realm! And I even got Roran's soul and had it turned it into a wraith! Saibor, would you please come forward and show yourself?"

Angvard's main plan was to become the ruling god by assembling an entire army of wraiths and undead, and he had achieved that through Saibor, the wraith who was the corrupted soul of Roran. Saibor was given the power of shadows and darkness, one of the elements of Angvard's realm. He was capable of creating shadowy dark portals and able to morph into a mobile wisp of black smoke, as well as conjure a black, shadowy version of Roran's battle hammer.

"_What is it that you wish, my master? I would accomplish anything for you_", Saibor growled as he stepped forward, leaving a black trail of dark shadows behind him.

"Oh, nothing, nothing, I merely wished to show the spirits what beautiful creation I have accomplished on this day", Angvard hissed, slightly showing his rotten black teeth as he madly grinned at his own sick humor.

"_Yes, master, although I must say, even though I am a wraith, I am not quite the one to brag about myself_", Saibor whispered.

"Well, then! But, onto the more important subjects;Daghelef, lead the way!", Angvard bellowed.

_Yes, my lord_, Daghelef softly hissed, and at his command, the undead bodies of Eragon's friends and Galbatorix turned around and followed Daghelef towards a swirling portal, with Saibor trailing right behind them. Nothing could stop an army of wraiths. An army of the undead.

_**What did you people think of my epic twist right there? I have just one message to leave:Angvard is mentioned in Brisingr, the third book of IC when a Varden magician yells, "They won't die! Angvard take them, they won't die!"**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Apparently, most of you who had reviewed didn't like the twist at the end of chapter 6! However, I'm just going to tell you all to prepare, because this chapter will have possibly the greatest twist ever created and it will mess with my readers in ways other fanfics wouldn't even dare!**_

The Extinct Ally

Chapter 7

The portal opened in a grassy plain in the physical realm. Instantly, Daghelef came floating out, knowing that this was the right time to carry out Angvard's plan, and that if he didn't accomplish it now, he would never get another chance.

Slowly, about a minute after Daghelef came, the undead corpses that had just recently joined Angvard's army came back into the physical realm. First came Thorn, followed by Voriadd, and then by Arya and Galbatorix. After that was Shruikan, Thorn's father, and the spirit version of Glaeder. He was followed by Murtagh and then finally Nar Garzhvog, who was certainly the slowest of the group.

_Oh, come now! Hurry it up! Angvard's plan cannot wait on _you!, Daghelef hissed as Nar Garzhvog slowly lumbered out of the portal. He made no noise as he obeyed Daghelef's orders, his legs and feet instantly speeding up.

However, the portal was still there, as it was not done pouring out Angvard's army. An air of dread fell over the plain as Saibor stepped out, his footprints leaving behind flickering black shadows as he stamped out, the formerly green grass turning coal black as black smoke drifted out.

_Ah, Saibor! It is good to see that you actually made it on time, as all of my servants here came at the right time! Of course, what must I expect from a wraith who has not even-, _Daghelef was saying at the sight of the wraith, but Saibor rudely cut him off.

"_Silence yourself, spirit! I do not answer to you, as Angvard is my one and only true master! And these are not _your_ servants_-he motioned towards the undead corpses-_they are Angvard's!_", Saibor growled.

_I believe you are mistaken! I am Angvard's highest commander and the leader of his extermination squadrons, but what are you? Nothing, that is what you are! You are simply a young wraith, with no experience in how to lead an army of the dead_-

"Now, now gentleman! If you spent less of your current time arguing and instead waiting for me to give you my orders, everything will be going perfectly, but I still do not see any perfectness here! Quit your chattering and perform the work you were assigned!", Angvard snarled as he rode out of the portal on the back of his gray horse. The thin, sickly beast neighed as the human god of death stepped off and unsheated his scythe and tapped the hilt of it on the ground.

At the sound of the tapping, the air buzzed with an unknown form of energy as an uncountable number of spirits floated out, chanting and murmuring forsaken and bizarre incantations. An orange and gray spirit was leading, not paying any heed to Angvard's horse or Saibor. However, the spirit stopped at the sight of Daghelef.

_Gourzier?_, Daghelef asked. The spirit bobbed up and down, which was the spirit version of nodding. It said nothing as it continued chanting.

_Gourzier! It is good to see you again, brother! I have not seen you since you had possessed that Shade, Durza!_, Daghelef exclaimed as he moved closer to his brother.

Daghelef then turned back to Saibor. _This, my friend, is my brother. He is the one who had created you, the one who had given you a place in Angvard's army, and you shall answer to him as well!_

Saibor merely murmured something inaudible as he took a glance at Gourzier and made a face of disgust. "_Stupid spirits, always believing they are better than the other races! Why are _they_ Angvard's favored race?_", the wraith grunted as he stepped aside and made way for the god of death.

Truly, the spirits were Angvard's favored race, not just because of the mystery and concern surrounding them and their connections to Shades, but because they were actually willing to serve him and him only. When the Empire and Galbatorix first came to power, the spirits attempted to gain notoriety and riches by joining Galbatorix's infantry units, but they were denied simply because they had no physical form. In a rage, the spirits destroyed three of the Empire's brigades and killed Tornac, Murtagh's mentor and servant.

Then, Angvard came to them. Not only did he grant the spirits everything Galbatorix would not, but he also gave them a throne in his realm and made most of them the highest ranking leaders in his army. And they had served the sadistic god well.

"Ynkrhoan! What are you standing about for? Open the next portal, you useless pile of cow dung! Do it!", Angvard raged at the other wraith who had just recently stepped out of the portal.

Ynkrhoan groaned as he scraped his feet forwards, barely making any actual steps at all. He pulled out his fire coated sword, which he heaved in the air before slicing it down, which opened an unnatural rift which hissed and sparked before bursting apart and forming a bright, swirling portal.

Ynkrhoan was another wraith in Angvard's army, but unlike Saibor, his power was hellfire, another corrupted element of Angvard's realm. Also unlike the shadow wraith, Ynkrhoan was very disliked by the god of death, and so therefore, Ynkrhoan was used much less often. However, Saibor was still a relatively young wraith, which gave Ynkrhoan the advantage of experience.

Already, out of the first portal, a numerous amount of bizarre and grotesque denizens of Angvard's realm came spilling out. One looked like an orange shrimp with wings, while another appeared like a bull with the body of a fish and legs of a bear.

"Hey! What are all of you doing here? This is _my_ private property, now get off, you stupid bastards, or else I'll cut your throats out!", a farmer yelled as he took out a dagger and marched closer to Angvard and his horse.

Then he took a look at the demons from Angvard's realm. His eyes sparked open, this time much wider, in fear as he took a step back and held his dagger out closer. "Uh, uh, get back! Back I say! Don't come any closer! _Stand back_"!, the farmer screamed as the spirits kept chanting, creating more portals.

The creatures, however, did not listen. A beast with 12-foot black, bat like wings, eyes that glowed purple like a werelight, and a head that looked like a combination between a praying mantis and a

vulture lumbered towards the farmer as the human held his dagger out ever further. "Get back! Don't make me-um, don't mak-", but the farmer never finished the sentence.

With a roar, the winged beast leaped up and spread it's wings. It dug it's claws into the mans throat and curved them down, puncturing the lungs before kicking up it's back legs and shoving it's back leg claws into the farmers esophagus. With a whimper, the man fell to the ground quivering.

Angvard then took his side by Saibor. "Daghelef, march our troops forwards! The physical realm shall be finally mine! This shall be our welcome greeting to the physical inhabitants here, and this shall be our "hello" to them:"Welcome to Hell"!"

_-POV change-_

The camp was abandoned. Not a single living creature was seen, and what remained of the grass blew back as the wind howled, eerily sounding as if though it was mourning those whom were slain in battle.

Then, out of nowhere, a loud _BOOM_ was heard as a blue explosion widened and incinerated the grass out of existence as the air was burned through and electrified as the blue shockwave subsided and five beings appeared in a smoldering crater, their faces smeared in blood.

Eragon stepped out, his face filled with fear for the first time in many years. Following him was Orik, his dwarven beard smeared in red gore. The dwarf king stared at Eragon as he dragged Nasuada's corpse behind him, her expression bland and unreadable. Orik still remembered his father telling him that a dead person's face always looked peaceful and caring, but this was not true for Nasuada's face. It merely looked dead.

Saphira stepped out of the crater slowly and hesitantly, her once sapphire blue scales drenched in the color of war, blood red_. _She choked back a cry as she saw the green dragon egg in Eragon's bag, knowing that it was destined for Arya. With Arya dead now, however, the egg could no longer hatch for anyone, and the sickening knowledge that she was now the final living dragon made her feel as if though she was about to vomit her own blood.

Voriadd's Lethrblaka was the final one to come out of the crater, stopping as he thought through the maddening events that had happened on this grim day. When he saw the corpse of his Rider and brother, Voriadd, and saw Eragon charging towards Galbatorix, he wanted to knock Eragon out of the way with his tail and tear the evil king horizontally in half with his claws and eat all of his remains.

_Saphira_, Eragon said through his and Saphira's mental connection.

_What is it, little one?_, Saphira replied as she was snapped out of her thoughts of the extinction of the dragon race.

_The, the spirits-they did not come! Why did they not come? Why did they not help us?_, Eragon asked her as he took a look at the abandoned Varden camp around him. Not a single soul was left, and the tents all seemed to correspond to the current mood of depression and rage, with the tents drenched in dry, black rain and with the wood poles holding them up letting them sag.

_Eragon, perhaps they decided to come later and they came too late before Galbatorix-_, Saphira replied but Eragon stopped her before she could say anything else.

_What kind of stupid suggestion is that? If the spirits had actually came, maybe Murtagh and Voriadd would have actually survived! Maybe Arya could have lived to become queen of the elves, or you and Thorn could have become mates and restarted the dragons! Maybe if the spirits had actually came, Nasuada would not have died and Galbatorix could have fallen without such a horrible cost!_

_Look, Eragon, I understan-_

_No, Saphira, you do not understand, and you never shall! Your family and just about your entire race were wiped out before you were even born! Murtagh was my half-brother, and now he's dead! Your parents were killed and now you know only their names, and you do not even know the true nature of your race! Thorn turned his own grandfather into a spirit just to be resurrected and to be with you again, and did you try to save him when Galbatorix was about to murder him? No, you merely watched like a pathetic bystander, like a-_

"Eragon, Saphira, come quick! Voriadd's Lethrblaka and I went into Nasuada's tent and found that the Varden's battle map has gone missing!", Orik yelled as he rushed to Eragon.

_-POV change-_

The citizens of Belatona were going about their normal lives on the unnaturally cold autumn morning. Children were playing in the streets, horse in carriages were pulling packages to the porches of homes, and thieves and beggars were quarreling in the alleys. News of Galbatorix's death and the ultimate defeat of the Empire had not even reached the city yet.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the ground shook as a large brick building collapsed.

Angvard grinned. His plan had just taken full effect. Soon, the physical realm's inhabitants would be bowing before a new king as the dust from the building's collapse subsided and a creature worse than any Lethrblaka or dragon showed itself.

_**Anything you guys want to know? Ask me in the Reviews section! Please R&R, and after I submit chap.8, I will create a sequel on ! So, have fun with this chap!**_


	8. Extinction Begins

_**The final chapter for THIS story!**_

The Extinct Ally

Chapter 8

The gigantic beast raised it's clenched fist before slamming it into another building. The roof went flying off into the street and slammed into a cart filled with gasoline and wood.

The cart suddenly went up in flames as the giant beast grabbed a neighing horse. The beast took one glance at the creature before opening it's huge mouth and biting the side of the horse. It ripped out the flesh and meat of the animal and began chewing and gnawing it.

The flying, orange shrimp like monster opened it's hole like, puckered mouth and shot out several white balls of flame. The citizens of Belatona could not even scream as the entire city was obliterated within a matter of seconds. They did not even get to see the the gray cloaked man on the thin, bony gray horse.

"Daghelef, go to the Varden camp! That stupid rider and his pathetic little friends shall not stand between me and my goal!", Angvard commanded as Daghelef obeyed and commanded several other nearby spirits to follow him to the camp where he knew Eragon was hiding. He would not fail his master.

_-POV change-_

Eragon and Saphira followed Voriadd's Lethrblaka and Orik to Nasuada's tent. The apparent disappearance of the Varden's battle map confirmed Voriadd's worries that Galbatorix had managed to find the Varden near Belatona because someone gave the battle map to the Empire.

What Eragon saw in the tent left him speechless. The whole tent had been looted and burned. The table Nasuada had used for meetings had been turned over and split in two and was scorched to the very core.

Suddenly, all four of them turned around as they heard a faint electrical hum. It was Daghelef and several other spirits.

"Daghelef, you are here! I have several questions for you! Why did the spirits not come during the ba-", Eragon was asking. But he never got to finish.

Without warning, three of the spirits fired three white beams from the centers of their spirit bodies. One hit Saphira, one hit Orik, and another hit Voriadd's Lethrblaka. All three of them instantly dropped to the ground.

_I am sorry, Eragon, but this is what happens when you defy Angvard!_, Daghelef cackled.

"Daghelef, what are you talk-"

Suddenly, Daghelef shot out a fourth white beam from the center of his body, and it hit Eragon with so much force it sent him falling to the ground.

Eragon's eyes rolled back into his head as his vision faltered before he blacked out.

_Well, gentlemen, let us clean this mess up! We shall bring them to Angvard alive so they may help him in his goal! Now, let us be off!,_ Daghelef hissed as he and his fellow spirits teleported away with the unconscious bodies. The physical realm's rebellion was officially crushed. Soon, the realm of twilight would absorb all other worlds and Angvard would rule all.

_**The sequel, "Countdown To Extinction", will come in around 4 months. R&R!**_


End file.
